Dalim Connector

What is the Dalim connector

This module allows to connect an ES Dalim DAM to your Jahia and use DAM assets in your projects as if they were local.

• Create one or multiple mount points in your Jahia
• Browse and select assets from ES DAM through Jahia interfaces
• Search inside ES folders and files through Jahia Interfaces
• Samples of galleries to customize the design of your layout
• Support revisions of ES assets

Prerequisites

• The Jahia Dalim connector is compatible with E.S version 5
• The Jahia Dalim connector is designed to work with DX 7.1.0.1 and newer versions
• DF Module - External data provider V3.0.1
• Please follow installation instructions in the READ ME file distributed with the connector

Installation

Install and configure the Dalim Connector in Jahia. If the JAR file is not already available, you can find the module on the Jahia AppStore or in Jahia in Administration>System components>Modules.

Deploy the module through the Module Administration user interface, or copy the jar file in the digital-factory-data/modules folder.

Once deployed, the Dalim connector needs to be enabled for one or more websites created and managed with Jahia. Click on the “Detail” button to access the configuration panel of the module.

Then enable the module for the website(s) you want it to interact with.

Connection setup

Typical setup

Open the Jahia Server Administration panel and go to System Components / Mount points.

 

Add a new point, select Dalim mount point, then click on +Add.

Fill the form to set up the mount point

• Name: is the folder name of the mount point. This name will be part of the path of the external content.
• URL: Address of the Dalim server. Example: http://my.host/dalim
• User: Dalim admin user used to generate ticket and browse the repository as system.
• Password: password of the admin user
• Mount point target : As Jahia can manage several websites at once, this setup feature allows to only display the selected part of the Dalim DAM for a specific website.

If your Dalim server is up and the credentials are valid then your mount point is mounted and you can start browsing your ES files directly from the mount point folder.

Cache management

The Dalim connector does not include a specific cache management that can be set within the dedicated graphic interface.
Yet, the cache can be configured by accessing the following file on the Jahia server:

Two parameters need to be added to the file servlet, (which is not the static file servlet)

<servlet>
        <servlet-name>Files</servlet-name>
        <servlet-class>org.jahia.services.content.files.FileServlet</servlet-class>
        <load-on-startup>99</load-on-startup>
</servlet>
 
<servlet>
        <servlet-name>StaticFiles</servlet-name>
        <servlet-class>org.jahia.services.content.files.StaticFileServlet</servlet-class>
        <load-on-startup>99</load-on-startup>
</servlet>

in order to get this:
<servlet>
        <servlet-name>Files</servlet-name>
        <servlet-class>org.jahia.services.content.files.FileServlet</servlet-class>
        <load-on-startup>99</load-on-startup>
        <init-param>
            <param-name>cache-from-external-provider</param-name>
            <param-value>true</param-value>
        </init-param>
        <init-param>
            <param-name>cache-threshold</param-name>
            <param-value>69867098798</param-value>
        </init-param>
    </servlet>
 
    <servlet>
        <servlet-name>StaticFiles</servlet-name>
        <servlet-class>org.jahia.services.content.files.StaticFileServlet</servlet-class>
        <load-on-startup>99</load-on-startup>
    </servlet>

<init-param>
            <param-name>cache-from-external-provider</param-name>
            <param-value>true</param-value>
</init-param>

By setting this parameter to true, all of the external data provider will get a cache.

<init-param>
            <param-name>cache-threshold</param-name>
            <param-value>69867098798</param-value>
</init-param>

This parameter enables the cache feature for all files whose size exceeds 64kb. (Value is set on bytes). This value is an example and must be changed to the desired value.Features

Search, read and use of a file

The Dalim connector allows a user to browse an Dalim DAM instance. Searches can be performed on:

• The file’s name
• The file’s description
• The file’s content
• The file’s creation or last modification’s date
• It’s creator’s and last modifier’s name

User rights management

The Dalim connector uses the specified user on the connector settings in Jahia to log into Dalim DAM. Therefore, all Jahia users have the rights attached to this account on Dalim DAM. As Dalim defines the rights on its resources it is not possible to change them from Jahia.

Limitations

Number of browsed files

By default, the connector poses no limit to the depth of an Dalim DAM browsing request. The user can get access to all the files. But the more the connector will browse, the slower it will display the result of the request.
The internal organization of files and folders within the Dalim DAM will affect the responses of the connector and this action is solely the responsibility of the DAM user.

File online display

The connector allows a user to directly insert into a Jahia managed website a digital asset stored in Dalim DAM. But if the Dalim server goes down, the file will no longer be available for an online display through the Jahia managed website.
DX’s systems go with an internal cache feature that allows an already served file to remain available through the cache.  But the cache system has a consequent impact on the server’s RAM. A temporary down Dalim server may slow Jahia server operations if a large amount of heavy files needs to be stored within Jahia’s cache.

File creation or modification

Jahia’s Dalim connector does not allow Jahia to add files into Dalim’ system nor can it modify one or more.